Crime branch raids Gutkha dealer's house, seizes Gutkha, car worth 21.37 L

Aurangabad, April 5:

The crime branch of the city police raided a house of Gutkha dealer at Indiranagar in Mukundwadi on Tuesday and seized gutkha stock and a car worth Rs 21.37 lakh from him.

It may be noted that the State Government banned gutkha. But, it was being sold openly at every kiosk and grocery shop in the different parts of the city.

Police also arrested the three accused who have been identified as Shaikh Habib Shaikh Madan (36), Shaikh Yaseen Shaikh Fattu (43) and Mohsin Mumtaz Khan (25)-all from Indiranagar, Mukundwadi).

According to the crime branch, the accused Shaikh Habib stocked gutkha and banned aromatic tobacco in his house in Indiranagar illegally.

He was selling gutkha to small and big shopkeepers at wholesale price. Police received this information.

Acting on a tip-off, a crime branch time comprising

PSI Kalyan Shelke, constables Ramakant Patare, Ramesh Gaikwad, Vijay Nikam, Chandrakant Gawli, Rajendra Salunke, Omprakash Bankar, Kailas Kakad, Nitin Deshmukh, Sandeep Sanap and Hira Chincholkar's team under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Dr Nikhil Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police Aparna Gite, Assistant Commissioner of Police Vishal Dhume and Inspector Avinash Aghav raided Shaikh Habib's house. He was then found loading sacks of gutkha, aromatic tobacco and paan masalas into the car.

In another room, other sacks of gutkha were piled up. When the police conducted a panchnama on gutkha and aromatic tobacco, it became clear that the value of the goods was 12.37 lakh. Besides gutkha, police also seized a car worth Rs 9 lakh. The two accomplices of Habib were also arrested.

Earlier, Habib used to run a grocery store. While in the grocery store, he started selling gutka illegally, police said. He told the police that he adopted the means of business as he was earning a lot from selling gutkha. A case was registered at Mukundwadi Police Station against him.

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Case against suppliers in Jalna

Police had received information that Ashfaq Tamboli from Jalna was selling gutkha to the accused in the city. After the raid, the police interrogated the accused. During interrogation, they revealed that the goods purchased gutkha from Tamboli. Police have also registered a case against Tamboli and are searching for him.